A Geisha's Tale
by iambabygg
Summary: "The very word 'geisha' means artist - and to be a geisha... is to be judged as a moving work of art." Set in the Grand Jipangu AU, this is a story about a young girl, Pansy, who struggles to break free from the geisha life, in order to find love. Zoro x Pansy x Law - LOVE TRIANGLE! (LOL! IKR, THE PAIRING IS RANDOM AF, BUT READ MY MSG/NOTE, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY!) iambabygg ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
1. Spring

**VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ ALL OF THESE INFO/NOTES/MESSAGE FIRST IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE LAYOUT OF THE STORY!  
**

 **Warning** : Rated T for language (cursing) and minor suggestive adult themes in Chapter 5.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own One Piece or its characters. I'm just a fan that's inspired by the great works of its creators. This is just a fanfiction and does not have any affiliation to the actual anime/manga. Also, I don't personally know much about Japanese culture or Geisha's in general. I basically just researched these background information.

 **Reading Guide** :

This story will be told in third person point of view, but will also include narrations (first person pov) from our main character (Pansy). That can be annoying, so I will distinguish it in brackets with italic font, i.e. _[iambabygg]_.

Ellipses ... indicates a change of time or scene.

Parenthesis with asterisk with italic font ( _*iambabygg)_ indicates my in-text notes.

Single quotation marks 'iambabygg' will be used to indicate a person's unspoken thoughts (kinda like a soliloquy).

* * *

 **Author's Message** :

 **YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING WHY THE F*CK DID I CHOOSE THIS PAIRING? LOL, WELL, BELOW IS YOUR ANSWER!**

I was inspired by the Boss Luffy Historical Specials! (Special Ep. 4, Ep. 291-292, etc.) I love Zoro, and I loved how he was depicted as a monk, so that's why I decided to stick with that and create this **FORBIDDEN LOVE** vibe. I really liked the reference to feudal Japan, so I figured, why not use geisha's! The geisha's will be the Kuja's from Amazon Lily _(*I really wanted the mermaids instead, since they are more 'friendly' with men lol, but I couldn't think of a 'perfect' female character, so yeahhh.)_ Since the Kuja's are geisha's, I needed a pretty and younger character; therefore, Pansy is our girl! _(*she's the fighter from the Amazon Lily Arc.)_ Also, I needed Guy #2, so I chose Law, because, c'mon, he's such a hottie! # **LOVETRIANGLE**

 **Despite being geisha's, I will rule out a few things!** (1) A new maiko does not have to change her name. (2) A maiko can be promoted to be a full-fledged geisha by age 18 instead of 20-21.

Last but not least, this story may or may not be slightly inspired by "Memoirs of a Geisha", the movie, because obviously, that's the media that introduced the word 'geisha' to me, and possibly some of you guys too!

 _Note: Chapters 1-2 are mostly introductions and background information. The love development starts around Ch. 3 and so on._

iambabygg ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

* * *

 **Terms to know** -

Geisha: a hostess, trained to entertain clients (generally men) with conversation, dance, and song.

Maiko: apprentice geisha

Okasan: literally "mother" - the owner/proprietress of an okiya

Okiya: geisha house

Ochaya: literally "tea house" - establishment where guests are entertained by geisha's

 _*more 'terms to know' will be listed whenever I introduce it in each specific chapters._

* * *

 **Main Characters** :

Pansy, 18, a geisha

Zoro, 21, a Hakaisou (Buddhist monk who broke the rule of being one)

Law, 26, a nobleman and doctor

Marguerite, 18, a geisha (Pansy's best friend)

Gloriosa, aka Elder Nyon, the okasan

Other geisha's/workers of the okiya: Hancock (most popular geisha), Marigold, Sandersonia, Ran, Daisy, Rindo, Aphelandra, Nerine, Kikyo (head maid), Belladonna (doctor), Enshida (assistant), Cosmos, Blue Fan, Sweet Pea, Poppy

Doflamingo, 41, a daimyo (feudal lord)

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Spring, the Best Time for Flowers to Bloom**

It was early spring, around March, and the flowers were just starting to bloom. The forest, next to a small town, were filled with various wild flowers. A little girl with brown eyes and short, black hair sneaked into the forest to play with the flowers. She spotted varieties of pansies and plucked them out, gently laying them into her basket. After collecting enough, she sat under a shady tree and started making a floral wreath. Once she completed, she held it out and gently gaze at it, admiring her masterpiece. Suddenly, the wreath was yanked from her hand.

"Hey! Give it back to me, Zoro!" she yelled out to the older, green hair boy that stole her art.

He examines the feminine headdress. "Eh? Since when do you like girly things?"

She blushes and steals the floral wreath back. "Uh, it's- I just found it!"

He can tell that she was clearly lying. "You already know that we aren't allowed to come to the forest alone, Pansy." She frowned and looked down. "Anyways, since we're out here, wanna go catch some fish?" She smiles and follows the boy. They went to the river and he made some spears out of tree branches. They spent the rest of the evening trying to catch as many fishes as they can. After filling up her basket, they happily walked back to town.

"Zoro! Pansy!" a tall man with a long ponytail, wearing round glasses shouted at them. He was clearly mad that the kids had been out all day without informing him.

"Sorry, sensei. We just went fishing. See!" Zoro showed the man the basket filled with fishes. He sighed and went up to them. The two were relieved that he wasn't mad. All of a sudden, he knuckle punches their heads, making them groan in pain. "Ouch! Sensei! We said we're sorry!"

"Next time, let someone know where you're going!" He took the fish basket to the kitchen.

The other children giggled. "You guys wanna get hit too!" Zoro threatened. They immediately stopped giggling.

"Koshiro-sensei was so worried about you guys, that's why he was so angry." They both looked at each other and smiled with relief.

After a while, the man came back with a tray full of cooked fish. "Dinner's ready! Come eat, kids!" The kids huddled at the dinner table and all shared their portions. All of the kids were not siblings or even from the same family. They had one thing in common – they were all orphans. It had been three years since Pansy was sheltered in the orphanage. Ever since living there, she became best friends with Zoro, who was three years older than her. Despite their gender, Zoro treated Pansy like his little brother, due to her tomboyish behavior.

 _[I spent the remainder of that spring playing with Zoro. We would always run around town, doing mischievous things, such as pranking people, and occasionally stealing candy or fruits from the local markets. We would always get caught by Koshiro-sensei though, and received harsh punishments. Even though we had no family, no money, and no education – we were just two little kids enjoying ourselves to the fullest. It was finally near the end of spring, and the orphanage got an unexpected visitor. She was an older woman, accompanied by a girl with short, blonde hair who was around my age. After speaking with Koshiro-sensei for a while, he nodded and walked to me.]_

"Pansy. Come here and greet Elder Nyon." She bowed and greeted the short, old woman.

"How old are you, little Pansy?"

"Eight."

"Ah, just the same age as Marguerite-chan here." The blonde girl smiled to Pansy, while she smiles back. "Do you want to come with me, little Pansy? I can offer you a better future. You will learn various arts and become educated. All I ask, is for you to repay your debt when you grow up. What do you say?"

Pansy turned to look at Koshiro-sensei with a confused expression. He smiles and nods, gesturing her to take the opportunity. She didn't want to though. She looked over to Zoro, who was just minding his own business. "T-Thank you for your generosity, Elder Nyon. But can I get a few days to think it over first?"

"Sigh. As you wish. I will give you one day. I expect an answer that will benefit me. Good day." The two visitors got up and left.

"Pansy, you should have just said 'yes' and left with her. What if she doesn't come back for you tomorrow?"

"But, sensei, I don't want to leave. I still want to live here with-"

"Tch! Baaaka!" Zoro angrily stormed up to her face. "Do you know how lucky you are to have someone come and offer you a better life?"

"Z-Zoro?"

"Just go! You won't get another chance like this in a lifetime!" He turned around and walked away. Pansy's eyes started getting teary.

 _[I couldn't believe it that Zoro wanted me to leave. I thought we were going to be friends and live together forever. I felt so foolish to have such a strong hope for that unreachable dream. I immediately made up my mind that night and said my goodbyes to everyone at the orphanage, except Zoro. He was gone that night. Everyone was worried about him, but I didn't care. The next morning, Elder Nyon and Marguerite came back. I packed my belongings and got on the carriage. I tried to be tough and forget about that selfish boy, but inside, I was extremely worried and heartbroken that he hadn't come back to say a proper 'goodbye' to me. I drifted farther and farther away from the town. Still no Zoro. Soon, the town was out of sight. I knew right then, that we will never see each other again.]_

…

After a few days of traveling, they finally arrived to the big city. It was very different from the small, country-side village Pansy grew up in. There were lots of building structures close to each other. The lively streets were filled with residents walking or riding carriages throughout the markets. They finally stopped at a certain building. It was very grand and beautifully decorated with white walls, brick pillars, red wooden posts, and pagoda tile roofs _(*since Amazon Lily's original architecture and décor resembles ancient China, I will base the okiya as that, instead of the typical Japanese housing architecture)._

Elder Nyon smiled to Pansy. "Welcome to my okiya. From now on, you will be living here. Marguerite, show Pansy to her room."

"Hai!" Marguerite guided Pansy through the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard _(*Siheyuan style)_. As they were walking across the courtyard, Pansy saw a very beautiful woman, dressed in a red kimono nightgown. She is tall and slender, with pale skin, large breasts, and long black hair. She looked a little cranky though, as if she had just gotten up, even though it was nearly afternoon. Marguerite bowed to her. "Good morning, Hebi-hime." The woman saw that Pansy was mesmerized by her. She confidently smirk and elegantly walks across the courtyard to the main room. The girls walked to the west wing and entered a small room.

Pansy stored her belongings away and asked, "Who was that woman, Marguerite? She's so beautiful."

"Of course she is! She's only the most beautiful and popular geisha in all of Grand Jipangu!"

"G-Geisha? What's that?"

Marguerite giggled. "Seriously? You don't know what a geisha is? They are only the most beautiful and talented women ever! You and I will be trained to be just like them. Isn't that why you came to this okiya?"

"E-Ehh?!"


	2. Road to Geisha

**Chapter 2: Road to Geisha**

 _[I didn't know that I was going to be trained to be a geisha. I honestly thought Elder Nyon took me in because she didn't have kids. I felt pretty stupid afterwards. Ever since arriving at this okiya, I spent most of my time doing chores and housework, while serving the 'older sisters'. There was only women in this okiya, and a few pets, particularly snakes. The two most prominent figures were Elder Nyon and Hancock. We call her 'Hebi-hime', because she is the pride of our okiya, and she is the one racking in funds in order to maintain our okiya. Marguerite told me that by the time Hancock debuted at 18, she had already earned back all her schooling and boarding costs. She definitely deserves her title._

 _I became interested in being a geisha, mostly because of Hancock. She was like a queen. She is loved and adored by many people, gets to sleep in (*it is actually due to her job, because parties can last till midnight or later), pampered by everyone, dolled up, and just go party. At that time, I thought, 'Wow, this would be a dream job.' What I didn't account for was the years of training in order to become one.]_

"C'mon, Pansy! We're going to be late!" The girls quickly put on their sandals and ran across the hanamachi (geisha district) to the kaburenjo (geisha school). Pansy was excited to finally get to attend school. She seated next to Marguerite along with the other younger girls, who were around their age.

A lady came into the room. "Welcome, girls. You are all here to train to become a geisha in the near future… A geisha is a woman highly trained in the arts of music, dance and entertaining. They represent the illusion of female perfection. Our school will help guide you to achieve that goal. Our curriculum is very strict, so be prepare for hell." Pansy had a worrisome expression. 'H-Hell?' After the woman's lecture, the students toured the school and observed the older maiko's. They were all beautifully dressed and amazingly talented, ranging from singing, dancing, and playing instruments, etc.

 _[At that time, I became fascinated with the older girl's talents. I grew up at the orphanage with only boys, so I basically had to dress and act like a boy. I had no feminine qualities at all. It's not like I didn't have fun though, but I had always wanted to try girly things._

 _I never knew that the warning from earlier was legitimately implemented into our training routine. It almost felt like 'hell'. We had to wake up at the crack of dawn and had lessons almost every single day till sunset. Agony and beauty for us live side by side. Our feet hurted, our fingers sometimes bled_ _from the harsh training. Even sitting and sleeping was painful._

 _I spent the next six years learning to play instruments, particularly the shaminsen (a three stringed instrument), shimedaiko (a small drum), koto (a large, stringed instrument), and the fue (a flute). We practiced singing, dancing and tea ceremony. In addition, we were taught flower arrangement and calligraphy. Despite the harsh training, I had a lot of fun. My favorite activity was dancing, playing the instruments, and flower arrangement._

 _I was lucky enough to be promoted to a maiko by fifteen years old. Marguerite and I, along with Aphelandra (the newer trainee after my arrival to the okiya), trained under our older sisters: Hancock, Sandersonia, Marigold, Daisy, Ran, and Rindo. We would attend parties and gatherings with them, observing how a geisha should interact and be seen; such as, proper ways of serving drinks, casual conversation, playing games, dancing, etc. We had to learn how to carry ourselves with grace; such as, walking gracefully in a super long, floor-length kimono without tripping or pouring sake so that our kimono sleeves doesn't dip into the cup. Our older sister's also taught us some tricks here and there; such as, whom to greet first or how to flatter a shy, arrogant, or disinterested man._

 _As a maiko, we weren't really allowed to actually interact with customers. We mostly performed, either dancing or playing the instruments and observed our older sisters. I didn't mind that. I honestly had no interests in attending or serving men, especially if they were too overbearing. I started to question my purpose of being here. Is it really worth being a geisha if I don't like what I was doing? Can I do something else? Will Elder Nyon allow me to switch my career?]_

…

It was early spring that year, and their okiya was invited to attend one of the great nation's daimyo's spring ceremonial viewing at his exclusive estate.

"Kyaa! I'm so excited!" shouted Elder Nyon, as the geisha's and maiko's of the okiya gets ready for the big day. "Our beautiful Hebi-hime, to be exclusively invited by the great daimyo, Donquixote Doflamingo! Kyaa! This is great! I expect everyone else to be on their best behavior and impress them!"

"Hai~"

After they finish getting ready, the girls got on their carriages and went to Flower Hill, the daimyo's exclusive Zen garden, beautifully structured with a lake and pond, bridges, statues, garden architecture, many bonsai plants, and a large tea house. It also features a cherry blossom tree forest, bamboo grove and cedar woods. There were many guests, mostly business partner's or high ranking officials. A large, tan man with blonde hair and sunglasses came up to the girls. Elder Nyon and Hancock bowed and greeted the overwhelming man.

"So glad you guys made it," he said, while lifting Hancock's hand and gently kissing it.

"Thank you so much, my great lord, for inviting us to your humble estate," she said, while smiling to him.

He looks over to the young maiko's and widely grins. "These your new girls?"

"Ah, yes, my lord." Elder Nyon gestured for the girls to come greet him. They humbly obliged and bowed. "This is Aphelandra, Marguerite, and Pansy."

He looked over to the fresh new faces and smiled. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, young ones." Marguerite and Aphelandra widely smiled back to him, while Pansy was distracted by the monks who had just arrived. She saw someone that looked familiar, but she couldn't really figure it out, since they were too far away.

"Pansy! Show some respect!" Elder Nyon yelled to her, while hitting her arm.

"Huh?!" She finally turned back her attention to the older man and bowed. "Uh, s-sorry, sir."

"Fuffuffuffuffu! This one's interesting."

Pansy looked at him with a confused face. 'Eh?' A guest came to greet him, so Pansy and the other girls left, except for Elder Nyon and Hancock, who stayed behind to accompany him. Pansy, Marguerite, Aphelandra, and Sweet Pea went to view the garden, while the other girls went elsewhere.

"Pansy, don't you know that that's the daimyo? You should have shown him more respect."

"Sorry. I was just too distracted by something."

"What could be more interesting than the daimyo himself? You know, he is an extremely powerful figure in our country." The girls continued explaining about how powerful and wealthy he is, while Pansy scan the garden for the monks. "Are you even listening?"

Finally, she spotted someone in a series of kimono-like robes in layers, waraji (straw sandals), takuhatsugasa (traditional Japanese woven rice-straw hats) and a distinct red, bead necklace. "E-Excuse me." She immediately rushes over to the man, resembling a monk. She crosses the bridge and walks up the stairs to the bamboo grove. She finally reaches him. She gently turns him around. "Zo-" The frail, old monk looked at her with a confused expression.

"May I help you, child?" he gently replies.

She blinked and frowned. "I-I'm so sorry, sir." She bowed to him and disappointingly walked back.

…

"Are we ready to go now, Master?" said a younger man with green hair, dressed in the same outfit as the senior monk, who had just came back from using the restroom. The senior monk gently nodded and they both left the garden.

…

As Pansy was disappointingly walking across the bridge, she wasn't paying attention, so she crashed into someone, making her fall on top of him. "Ow!" Finally realizing that she was on top of someone, she quickly got up. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, sir." She tried to help the man on the ground, but he refused her help and got up by himself. "Are you ok, sir?" she asked. She felt so bad.

Pansy was able to get a better look of him when he stood up. He was slim and relatively tall, with black hair and a small goatee. He had faint shadows under his eyes and a dour expression, which made her a little scared of him. He was able to tell that she was a little frightened of him. "Sigh. Don't worry, it's alright." He patted his clothes and saw a hana kanzashi (flower hair ornament) on the ground, so he picked it up and handed it to her.

Pansy tapped her hair, noticing that hers was missing. "Ah, t-thank you, sir." She smiles and takes it back. She tried to put it back on her hair, but she didn't have a mirror, so she didn't know where to exactly place it.

A little annoyed, the man took the kanzashi from her hand. "Here, I'll help you." He leans toward her and inserts it into her hair, which made her slightly blush.

"T-Thank you again, sir."

He sighed. "Enough with the 'sir' crap. I'm only 23. You can call me Law."

Pansy widely grinned. "Thank you, Law-san!" Seeing the girl's cheery smile made him happy. Without realizing it, he smiled. "Eyy! Law-san! You're smiling! I didn't think I'd ever get to see you smile, ahaha," she teased. Embarrassed, he turned around and walked away, trying to hide his slightly blushing face. "Awh! Oh, no! I'm so sorry!" She followed him, begging him to forgive her. She unexpectedly followed him all the way until they reached the cherry blossom trees. When she finally realized that she was there, she stopped and looked around. She was in awe at how beautiful it was. "Whoa…"

He folded his arms and smiled at the amazed girl. "What's your name, kid?"

"Pansy," she replied, while still admiring the beautiful pink trees. Suddenly, she remembered that she was supposed to go back to her friends, or else they'll be worried, since she just suddenly ran away from them. Before going, she turned to him and smiled. "If possible, I'd like to meet you again, Law-san. Excuse me." She bowed and went back to the garden to look for her friends.

He smiled at the silly girl and also headed back, but in another direction.


	3. New Friend

**Author's Message:**

Sorry, I haven't been updating lately! Been busy with life, ya know. Kinda, not really, just been too lazy! LOL! Well, I decided to make this a **LOVE TRIANGLE** story! YUPPPPP! That's like, wayyyyyy better. Still sticking with the **FORBIDDEN LOVE** vibe too! We won't see Zoro in this chapter, but soon!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: New Friend**

Now at the tender age of 18, Pansy had grown into a beautiful woman. She is tall and slender with voluptuous curves and long, wavy black hair.

 _[In this world, the man holds the higher position. We have to maintain utmost obedience. We are taught to humbly nod and listen; and not offer our opinions. Even though the goal is to be the ideal female perfectionist, I tried my best to ruin myself in order to not become a geisha. I never flattered or gave special attention to anyone. I spoke bluntly to many guests and was unenthusiastic towards many customers. Despite my contradictory behavior, I was still forced to continue my training. There was no way that Elder Nyon was going to let me go, since she had already invested too much on me.]_

There was a big celebratory for the daimyo's birthday tonight, and their okiya was invited to perform. Everyone dressed up beautifully in order to impress to daimyo. Their face and skin was painted white, while their lips were bright red. Their hair was elaborately decorated with beautiful kanzashi. The older geisha's wore their most beautiful kimonos, while the younger maiko's wore matching outfits for their performance.

"Do I really have to go, Elder Nyon? I'm feeling a little under the weather."

"Of course you do, Pansy! Tonight is a big night for you guys! Now hurry up and get ready. We're leaving in an hour!"

After a while, the girls got on their carriages and headed to Geisha Garden, the most famous and exclusive ochaya in the hanamachi. The three maiko's were patiently waiting backstage as they wait for their turn. Pansy was feeling hot, so she started fanning herself.

"Are you ok?" Aphelandra asked.

"Yeah, it's just a little stuffy in here. I'm gonna go get some fresh air." With that being said, Pansy walked outside and sat on the stair steps. She could feel her body getting hot, despite the cool, breezy October night. She was sweating, while shivering at the same time.

"You ok?" someone asked. Pansy turned around and recognized the familiar voice.

She got up and smiled. "Ahh, Law-san, right?" He looked a little confused. He didn't recognize her in all the makeup. "It's me, Pansy. We met at Flower Hill three years ago."

He examined her, from head to toe. "Ohh, the little maiko. Yeah, I remember now… Wow, you changed quite a bit in three years." He was amazed at how beautiful she had become.

She smiled. She was happy that he remembered her. She was also happy to finally get to meet him again. Aphelandra came to get her for the performance. "I gotta go now! Hope to see you around!"

…

The three maiko's danced to traditional music, telling a story of love and sorrow. The crowd cheered loudly to the three girls, applauding their artistic and beautiful performance. Many people became interested in the young maiko's. One of them was the daimyo himself, Doflamingo. He went backstage to personally greet the girls.

"Ahh~ My lord!" Elder Nyon exclaimed. She was surprised to see him. The three girls turned to see him.

"You girls were amazing tonight," he complimented, while specifically staring at Pansy. The three bowed and thanked him. "Elder Nyon?"

"Yes, my lord?" He handed her a bag of coins. She opens it and eyeball the huge sum of coins in it. "T-Thank you, my lord! This is such a generous tip!"

He smirked and went up to Pansy. "What's your name, maiko?"

"My name is Pansy, my lord."

"You're a very beautiful woman now, Pansy-chan."

She blushed. "T-Thank you for the generous compliment, my lord."

"Fuffuffu, if you are truly thankful, then you'd come join me at my estate for my Autumn viewing. I'm sure you remember the beauty of it, since you've been there before."

"Eh?"

"M-My lord!" Elder Nyon interrupted. "Pansy is still a maiko. She won't be able to-"

"I expect to see you there. This invitation is exclusively for you only, Pansy-chan. I will have someone come pick you up by then." He grinned and walked back out.

"You stupid child!" Elder Nyon slapped Pansy's arm.

"Ouch! What was that for, Elder Nyon?" she complained, while rubbing her arm.

"You should have declined the offer! The daimyo has a huge reputation for liking young women. You should already know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Eh? No, I don't. Besides, what's the harm in going to the place anyways? It's beautiful. I wouldn't mind going again." Elder Nyon slapped her arm again. "Ouch! Elder Nyon!" Pansy was getting a headache now, so she decided to go back outside. She was feeling very weak and dehydrated. She saw Law sitting on a bench by the courtyard garden. "Law-san? It's so cold outside. Why are you out here?"

"There's too many people inside. It was getting annoying."

She could tell that he was very gloomy. It seemed like something was bothering him. "Am I bothering you, Law-san? You look very irritated. Should I leave?"

"No. Sorry. I didn't mean to give off such a bad vibe towards you." He heavily exhaled, trying to cool himself down, and places his head down on his hands.

"A-Are you ok?"

"Sigh. I'm ok. It's just…" He started to get teary.

"Law-san?!" She was surprised.

He looked away, hiding his face and quickly wiping his tears. After a while, he finally spoke. "Today's the death anniversary of my brother figure… I was a medical student back then, and I wasn't able to help him due to my inexperience medical skills… I'm pissed off because he is the daimyo's biological brother, and yet, here he is, enjoying himself, not giving a shit about his own deceased brother."

"L-Law-san. I'm very sorry to hear that." There was an awkward moment of silence. "Buddha once said 'You can only lose what you cling to'… You know, letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows people to be responsible for themselves and pursue other things. This eventually frees us from unnecessary stress." He turned around to look at her. "I'm really sorry for your loss, Law-san. I really wish I can do something to make you feel better."

He finally smiled. "Thank you for caring, Pansy. I really appreciate it."

"Yay! You finally smiled." He blushed, getting caught off guard like that made him embarrassed. Before he could argue back, he saw that her eyes were closed. Her face was bright red. She was rapidly breathing and sweating.

"Pansy?" He measures her temperature and was surprised to feel how hot it was. "Oh crap. Pansy?! Can you get up?" He shook her to get up, but she was too weak to do so. He decided to carry her back inside and find one of the friends.

…

Pansy woke up the next morning in bed. She had no recollection of what happened ever since her talk with Law. It turns out that Law helped bring her back to the okiya and helped check up on her. He was a doctor, and a friend, so he didn't request any medical fees from Elder Nyon at all. Pansy insisted on paying him back, but he always refused. For the next few days, Law would occasionally come check up on her.

"You should be fine soon," he said, while checking her temperature.

"Thank you so much for your help, Law-san." She went to her drawer and grabbed a bag of coins. She handed it to him.

He chuckled. "Pansy, no! I don't need it."

"But-"

"You're my friend, right?" Pansy smiled. She was surprised and happy to hear that. "I'm happy to help a friend in times of need. Consider it as a 'thank you' for helping me cope when I was in need too." She widely smiled to her new friend as he petted her head. "Now, get some rest, ok?"

 _[I was very happy to make a new friend. Usually, Elder Nyon would never allow any of us to go out of the okiya unless we were going to work, school or shopping. But for once, Elder Nyon allowed me to go with Law to attend the daimyo's Autumn viewing. Maybe it was because she trusted him? Or maybe it was because she was grateful that he helped me without demanding any medical fees.]_


	4. More than Just Friends

**Chapter 4: Wanting to Be More than 'Just Friends'**

"You're so lucky, Pansy! You're the only one, besides Hebi-hime, that gets permission from Elder Nyon to go out," Marguerite said, while helping Pansy put on her obi (sash).

"Really?"

"Of course!" Aphelandra said, while fixing Pansy's hair. "Usually Hebi-hime would always get invited to the daimyo's events. But I don't know why she wasn't invited to this event though."

"Why so?"

"I don't know either. All I know is that she's a little moody right now." Aphelandra finished putting the hair ornaments on Pansy's hair. "There! Now you're ready."

Pansy examined herself in front of the mirror and thanked her two friends for helping her.

"Anyways... That Law guy... Do you like him?" Marguerite asked.

"Of course I like him! He's my friend."

"Do you like him as something more than a friend? Maybe like, a boyfriend?" Aphelandra asked.

"Ehh?!"

"He's such a handsome fella! Despite his stern demeanor, he's so sweet towards you~ I think he likes you, Pansy~" Marguerite teased.

Pansy chuckled. "Guys! Hahaha, we're just friends."

"Sureee. But friends can turn into lovers~"

"Ugh! Stop it!"

...

Soon, Law arrived and the two were on their way to the daimyo's estate.

"You look nice," he quietly uttered, while sitting next to her in the tight space rickshaw.

Pansy was too busy looking at the leaves of the deciduous trees that she didn't hear him. 'Wow! It's so beautiful!' He suddenly cleared his throat, distracting her. "Eh? I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Uh, n-no," he lied, while shyly looking away.

…

After a while, they finally arrived to their destination.

"Wow! Look, Law-san! It's beautiful here! This place look just as beautiful as it did during the spring." They continue touring the garden until they reached the bridge. Pansy suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She smiled and looked at him. "Law-san. Isn't this where we first met?"

He examined the bridge and gazed below at the flowing water stream. "Eh, that's right." He chuckled. "Three years ago a young maiko knocked me down on this same bridge."

"Law-san!" She looked away, blushing. She remembered she felt so bad for falling on top of him.

"Ahaha, and look, the young maiko has knocked me down again today."

"Eh?" she turned to him with a confused expression.

He looked straight into her eyes. " **She had blossom into such a beautiful flower... Even more beautiful than the hana kanzashi on her hair**." She blankly stare at his warm, smiley face. She could feel her face heating up and her heart beating fast. Her face glowed bright red. He was a little worried at how red her face was. "A-Are you ok?" he asked. He tried to feel her forehead to check her temperature, but she quickly turned around.

"Ahaha! I-I'm perfectly fine." She quickly fans herself to cool down. 'W-What the hell is wrong with me?! Why am I getting so hot?!' She walked down the bridge to the other side. "L-Let's go that way, Law-san."

…

After touring the garden and bamboo grove, they headed to the mansion. Doflamingo spotted Pansy and went up to her. "Good afternoon. I was looking for you all day. I didn't know you were with Law."

"Ah, I'm very sorry, my lord. Forgive me for not coming to greet you first."

"Well, that's ok… I do have a request though." Doflamingo asked Pansy to perform a dance for his guests, since the original dancer had bailed on a last minute notice. She was going to decline, but she didn't want to upset him. Therefore, she agreed. Pansy met with the performers and quickly practiced with them. She only had an hour to practice before the scheduled time, so she tried her best to remember the dance routine.

…

The guests were all seated in the large courtyard in front of the mansion, with food and sake served in front of them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to my annual Autumn viewing. Today we have a special performance from the GG Arts School. Enjoy!"

The first few performances consisted of musical performers and synchronized female dancers _(*odori maybe? Sorry, I don't really know shit about traditional Japanese dances)_. Finally, Pansy was introduced on stage. She wore a yellow ancient Chinese Feitian (apsaras – female spirit of the clouds and water) angel costume, consisting of a yellow tube top, a long sheer shawl, long ribbons on both arms, and yellow, bell bottom pants. She wore an elaborate golden head piece, gold jewelries, and had her hair in a decorated twin-loop. Once the music started, she carefully flutters the ribbon from her hands. She swung her arms, legs, and jumped - creating a beautiful illusion of flying through the sky. _(*I know this is supposed to be in Edo Japan, so there should be traditional Japanese dances, BUT I just think that the Flying Apsaras dance is absolutely stunning and beautiful, so I decided to stick with that instead. #sorrynotsorry!)_

Everyone was mesmerized by her amazing dance. Even the dancing coach was surprised that Pansy was doing so well, despite the little training time. When she finished, the guests loudly cheered and applaud. She widely smiled and bowed. When she came back out from changing, she saw many people lining up to meet and greet her. They all asked to dine or drink with her. She was a little overwhelmed by the attention so she just awkwardly smiled. Finally, Law came and saved her from the buzzing crowd. They sneaked away and hid outside.

"Huff- Thank you for saving me, Law-san." She was so relieved.

"I couldn't help but noticed how uncomfortable you were." They both chuckled.

"Fuffuffuffuffu, so this is where you are." They both turned around and saw Doflamingo. He went up to them and thanked Pansy. "You were amazing, Pansy-chan. Congratulations, you're probably one of the most famous maiko's now." She laughed and denied his statement. He handed her a small money bag.

"What's this?" She opened it and saw the plentiful coins. "M-My lord?!"

"A gift for helping me. And, consider it as a token to our new friendship~" He lifted her hand up, leaned forward and gently kissed her hand.

Surprised, she immediately moved her hand away. "P-Please don't do that. I-It's not proper," Pansy uttered, as she shyly looks away.

"Fuffuffuffuffu, I apologize." He grinned widely, amused by her shy reaction.

"Pansy, it's getting late. I think it's best if we head back now," Law interrupted. She nodded. They both excused themselves and headed out.

…

They silently rode back home. When they finally arrived at the okiya, Law finally spoke to her. "I had a great time with you today. You were stunning. To be able to learn all that dance in only an hour. Bravo. Maybe you really are the best maiko."

"Ahh, hahah, you're making me blush! But thank you for hanging out with me, and saving me from the crowd. I had a lot of fun." She looked up and saw that Law looked a little tense. "A-Are you ok, Law-san?"

Law was still distracted ever since Doflamingo kissed Pansy's hand. "Pansy, do you like the daimyo?" he finally managed to ask.

"Eh?! Well, I don't like him. But I also don't hate him. I don't even know him that well. I was surprised when he kissed my hand… T-That was shameful of me, wasn't it?"

He saw that she looked a little distressed. "No, not at all. That's just how he always is. I'm sorry that that happened."

Pansy awkwardly chuckled. "T-There's really no harm done! I was just surprised. Ahahaha! Today's just filled with many surprises for me. Just like what happened at the bridge-" She looked at him. She saw that he had a serious expression.

"I really meant what I said, Pansy." He moved closer to her, so close that it made her a little uncomfortable. He peered straight into her eyes. "If possible, and if you allow… I'd like us to be more than just friends…"


	5. Tired of Lying to Myself

**Warning** : The previous chapters has been rated around the 'K+' area _(I think?)_. The reason why I made this story rated T will be specifically because of this chapter!

 **If you are sensitive to minor suggestive description of forced/non-consented adult themes, then please ONLY READ TILL YOU SEE THE EMOTICON. Thank you for understanding.**

 **Terms to know -**

Mizuage: literally "hoisting from water" - ceremony undergone by a maiko to signify her coming of age. _(*Until it was outlawed in 1959, a maiko's virginity was sometimes auctioned off to the highest bidder. Yes, I will use this specific reference in the story.)_

Ryotei: traditional Japanese restaurant

Ryokan: traditional Japanese inn

Onsen: hot-spring bath

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Tired of Lying to Myself  
**

 _Recap - He peered straight into her eyes. "If possible, and if you allow… I'd like us to be more than just friends…"_

Pansy's eyes blinked. She could feel her cheeks glowing red. "L-Law-san? I-I don't know what to say..."

He looked a little disappointed. "Sigh. I'm sorry... I should probably leave now." He quickly got on the rickshaw and quickly rode away.

...

"Pansy!~ Oh, my little gem!" Elder Nyon excitedly called out to Pansy, as she makes her way to the dining table for breakfast. Pansy was confused as to why her okasan was so cheerful in the morning, because Elder Nyon was usually a grumpy morning person.

"Why are you so happy, okasan?" Daisy asked.

"Haven't you heard? It's been rumored _all_ over the hanamachi that our little Pansy has become such a huge star at the daimyo's Autumn viewing yesterday!~ Kyaa! That means our okiya will be making big bucks soon! Ahahaha!"

Pansy was surprised to hear that. She didn't expect to get so much fame. The girls congratulated Pansy and hoped for her success.

...

Since then, their okiya has been getting numerous requests, specifically asking for Pansy's attendance. She didn't want to go at all, but Elder Nyon kept obligating her to work in order to repay her debt. Every day for the next few weeks, Pansy had attended numerous parties and accompanied many guests to different shows and events. Even though she was living a glamorous life and earning good money, she hated it. She hated faking a smile, forcing a laugh, pleasing others, and wearing heavy layers of clothing, makeup and accessories. But because she had no other options, she forces herself to endure it for the time being.

...

It was an early morning, and Pansy was finally allowed to take a break from work tonight. She accompanied Sweat Pea to the market and spotted Law. "Law-san!" she shouted. He turned around and finally notices a plain face Pansy. She very tired and exhausted, but she was still sporting a wide grin to her friend. "Hey! How have you been?! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Hah, yeah. I'm good. How 'bout you? You look a little tired. Are you ok? Have you been working too much?"

She smiled. "I'm good, thanks for caring." She noticed that Law was going to a shrine, so she asked to come along with him, while Sweet Pea heads back home first. After paying respects at the shrine and making their blessings, they both walked back together.

"It seems like you've been in the spotlight lately."

"Ahaha! Yep... Sigh. Honestly, I hate it..." He was a little surprised to hear that from her. "Sure, it can be a glamorous life. We get pampered, dress beautifully, and attend parties, sing, dance and flatter people... But, you know what? I really hate it..."

"Pansy?"

"I'm tired."

"Oh. Then let's sit down for a bit."

"No... I meant that I'm **tired of pretending to be someone I'm not**... Tired of flattery, tired of lying. I hate what I'm doing!" She was hyperventilating, so Law sat her down on a nearby bench. She bursts in tears. " **I can only take so much until I've had enough**..." He unexpectedly wrapped an arm around her and pets her head. She should have moved away, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned in and continued crying in his embrace.

...

"T-Thank you for walking me home and listening to my rant, Law-san. You're a good friend."

He patted her head. "Of course. That's what friends do, right?" He warmly smiled. He watches her as she walks inside the okiya. He turned around and saw Elder Nyon, along with a few other girls coming back from the markets. "Good evening, Elder Nyon."

"Ahh, Law-sensei. It's very nice to see you here. I want to have a word with you. Girls, leave us alone, will ya."

"Hai!" The girls walked inside, while Law and Elder Nyon stayed behind.

"What is that you wanted to see me about?"

"It seems that you've taken a liking to our little Pansy. Isn't that correct?"

"W-We're just friends, ma'am."

"You should already know that a woman of this profession cannot have a lover, yes? Therefore, I want to give you a warning... and also an invitation."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I will not allow you to have any relations with Pansy... Of course, not until she repays back all her schooling and boarding debt for this okiya and whenever she quits... Lastly, it will soon be time for her mizuage. You should already know what that means. Pansy has become popular in these past few weeks. Many have already placed their bids... Will you?"

...

"Zahahahaha!" Daisy giggled, while gossiping the news to the older girls.

"Is it really true? Okasan is bidding Pansy's mizuage?" Daisy nodded. She eavesdropped on Law and Elder Nyon's conversation, so she heard everything. Marguerite overheard their gossips, so she went to tell Pansy.

...

"Elder Nyon, what exactly is this mizuage that I've been hearing but don't know about?" Pansy demanded.

"Sit down child." Pansy obeyed and sat across from her. "Have you ever heard of a man's eel and a woman's cave?" _(*LOL, YUP! I'm using that reference!)_ Pansy shook her head. "Well, sometimes, a man's eel likes to enter a woman's cave, they especially like it if no man has ever enter before." Pansy looked a little confused. "You've become one of the most popular maiko's in all of the hanamachi! For now, I'm allowing you to take a break until all your bids are finalize. You will soon be able to repay all your debt~ Hehehe."

 _[I still didn't understand what Elder Nyon meant at that time. I was just glad to get a break from work.]_

...

The next day, Elder Nyon, Hancock, Belladonna, Marigold and Sandersonia _(*the women with higher positions of the okiya)_ along with Marguerite, Aphelandra and Nerine went to visit the nearby town's autumn festival, leaving behind Pansy and the rest of the older sisters _(*geisha's, maids, lower position women of the okiya)_ to watch the okiya. Elder Nyon had specifically ordered that no one was allowed to leave the okiya for the whole day.

By sunset, their okiya got a special surprise visitor, Doflamingo. He request Pansy to accompany him to watch a late-night theatrical show. Pansy declined the generous offer, but he insisted for her come. The other girls were in no position to refuse the daimyo, so they allowed her to go.

...

After watching the show, Pansy was originally promised to immediately head back home, but the daimyo had other plans. He took her to a very private and exclusive ryokan.

"My lord? Why are we at a ryokan and not at a ryotei or ochaya?"

"I'm staying at this inn tonight, so I rather just drink here. Don't worry, I'll have someone send you home. C'mon, let's go." They both walked into the large ryokan. It was beautifully decorated with a Zen garden and pond. The inn was luxurious and very private. They both walked into a tatami-matted room. He offered if she wanted to bathe at the onsen with him, but she declined. Pansy patiently waited for him to finish his bath.

A worker prepared a meal and sake for the two and left the room. Doflamingo smiles and pours her a cup of sake. "Eh? My lord, I shouldn't-" He shook his head and gestured her to drink. If she refused his offer, it'll look as if she was offending him. Therefore, she had no choice. "If you insist, my lord." She gently grabs the sake cup.

"Cheers~" Doflamingo clinks his cup with hers and drinks the beverage. Pansy lifts the cup and forces the burning alcohol down her throat. She immediately started coughing. It was the strongest alcohol she had ever drank. He chuckled and gave her a handkerchief. "Not much of a drinker huh?" he teased, while pouring her another cup. She shook her head. She was never a good drinker, and she hated alcohol. Despite knowing so, he still insisted for her to drink with him. No matter how hard she tried to refuse, it was impossible.

After some more drinks, her head started spinning. She put her hand on the side of her forehead, massaging her temples. "M-My lord, I-I don't think I can continue drinki-" Her upper body fell on top of the table. It felt like the room was spinning.

"Fuffuffuffuffu, that's alright then~" He got up from his seat and went up to her, carrying her in bridal-style, to a room and laid her down on the futon mattress.

* * *

 **(´** **･** **(´** **･** **(´** **･** **(´** **･** **д** **･** **`)** **･** **`)** **･** **`)** **･** **`)**

 **Please STOP HERE if you are sensitive to minor suggestive description of forced/non-consented adult themes!**

He started pulling off the strings from her obi. "M-My lord! What are you doing?!" She was starting to panic. She tried to get up, but he pinned her down. Her vision was getting blurry and she felt very weak. She looked up to him and saw that he was sporting a wide, devilish grin. "P-Please don't do this- KYAA!" He suddenly rips her upper kimono apart, displaying her bare chest. She quickly moves her hands to cover herself, but he forcefully pins them apart. He smirked, and lick his lips, eager to devour his prey.

Pansy screams for help, but nobody came. She struggled to get up and run, but it was impossible due to his powerful strength and her drunken instability. Her eyes widen in disbelief, as the scorching pain soar through her body. It was at that moment, when his eel entered her cave, that she had admitted defeat. She laid there, defenseless, as he mercilessly took advantage of her chaste body... It felt like eternity for the night to end...


	6. Running Away

**Author's Message** : Hi guys! Sorry for going MIA ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ! What a shocking plot in the previous chapter though, right?! I apologize if I have made ya uncomfortable with it. Well, here's Chapter 6! It's kinda short, but we finally see Zoro! Yay!

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Running Away**

The next morning, Poppy (housemaid) dragged Pansy to kneel in front of the courtyard, awaiting her punishment.

SLAP!

Elder Nyon immediately slapped Pansy's face when she saw the lifeless girl.

"You whore! How dare you go out when I specifically forbade you to! Not only that, but you spent the whole night with the daimyo! I already warned you about him! How could you be so low, huh?!" Pansy's eyes started getting watery. "News spreads fast. Many people will withdraw from your mizuage bidding! Sigh… You are worthless!" Elder Nyon shook her head and disappointingly walked back to the main hall.

Pansy was so depressed, that she just continued kneeling on the ground. Worried, Aphelandra and Marguerite ran to help their friend up.

…

A few days passed by, and the rumors had already spread all over the hanamachi. The young, raising maiko is no longer the pure, sought-after gem. Many bidders had already withdrawn from her mizuage. Embarrassed, Elder Nyon forbade Pansy to leave the okiya.

Pansy's pride and innocence was completely stripped away. She wanted to leave the okiya. She wanted to run away from the lifestyle that she hated. Therefore, she decided that tonight will be the night.

Everybody had already gone to sleep. Pansy quietly packed up a small bag of clothes and some money.

"Pansy?" Marguerite was awoken by Pansy's noise.

"Shh!"

"W-What are you doing? W-Why are you packing your clothes?"

"I can't deal with this anymore. I've decided. I'm running away tonight. Please, don't let anyone know about this. Can you promise me that?"

"But Pansy! If you get caught, you'll get in big trouble!"

"I know. That's why I'm begging you to not let anyone know. Please? Go back to sleep and act like you've never saw me."

"But-"

Pansy hugged Marguerite and smiled. "Thank you for taking such good care of me. I'll always remember you guys."

"Pansy!"

She disregarded her friend's cry and quickly sneaked out. The gates were locked, so she climbed over the walls. A man patrolling the area saw Pansy and immediately shouted at her.

"Hey you! Who are you?!" Pansy gasped and immediately started running. Suspicious, the man chased after her. He caught up to her and grabbed her wrist. "Are you a thief?! You must be a thief, huh! Sneaking around like that!"

Pansy wiggles her hand away, but his grip was too tight, so she swung her bag at him. Injured, he finally frees her hand. Pansy pushes him and starts running away. When she was far enough, she hid behind an alley to catch her breath. She saw the man and immediately ducked down, hoping he would run pass her. After searching for a while, the man gave up and decided to go back. Relieved, Pansy walked away. She didn't exactly know where to go. She just knew that she wanted to be far away from the hanamachi.

…

Elder Nyon was furious when she found out that Pansy had ran away. "That ungrateful wench! How dare she run away like that!"

"Elder Nyon. What will you do?"

"Send our best men to find her! She might still be in the hanamachi. If not, then she shouldn't be that far from the neighboring towns."

"Yes, ma'am!"

…

After a long day of traveling by carriage, Pansy finally made it to the next town. It was dark, so she decided to find a hotel. As she was walking, she felt like someone was following her, so she started walking faster. She was about to cross the bridge but sees two men in front of her. She turned around and sees a group of men behind her too. She was completely surrounded. They started giggling and walked closer to her. "W-What do you want?"

One guy tries to grab her, but she quickly dodges and kicks his balls. "Ouucchhh!" he groaned in pain. "Get that bitch!" Pansy ran and screamed for help, as they closely trailed behind her. After a while, they finally caught her.

"Help! Help me!" she screamed.

"Hahaha! There won't be anybody to help you in this part of the town! This is our turf!" He pulled Pansy's hair and started dragging her.

"Help!" she cried, while struggling to get away.

Annoyed, the man slapped Pansy's face. "Shut up, you bitch! Stop struggling!"

"Sigh. Can't a man just sleep in peace?" A man, who resembled a monk, got up from a boat by the canal.

"Who the hell are you?!" The man approached them with a pissed off expression. One guy started backing up. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

"B-Boss. I-Isn't that man the Hakaisou who knocked down the Clown Family?"

"Who the hell cares! It's only one man! Beat him up!" The thugs all charged at the Hakaisou, but he easily dodges them and beats them up. Pansy's eyes widen in admiration. She had never seen someone so skilled before. The boss, who was holding onto Pansy's hair, pulled out a knife and threatened to slit her throat. "D-Don't come near me! I-I'll really do it!" The Hakaisou didn't flinch one bit and continues walking towards him. Scared shitless, he pushes Pansy, making her fall on top of her rescuer, and quickly dashes away.

"Ow."

"Ahh, I-I'm so sorry!" Pansy quickly got up. "T-Thank you so much, mister." His hat fell off, displaying his distinct green hair. She analyzes her rescuer from head to toe. He looked very familiar, even though she had never seen him before. She was trying hard to figure out who this man was.

"Excuse me then." He was about to leave, when suddenly, Pansy grabbed onto his hand.

"Wait!" He confusingly looked at the young woman. Pansy's eyes widen, immediately recognizing that peeved facial expression.

"Please let go of my hand, it is not proper."

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Pansy immediately lets go of his hand. "W-What's your name, mister?"

He puts on his hat and straightens it. "I have no name. I'm just a wondering monk. Goodbye, miss." He turned around and walked away. As he was walking, Pansy quickly ran in front of him, blocking his way. "Excuse me, miss, but why are you blocking my way?"

"Z-Zoro, right?! Your name is Zoro!"

"Eh?" It was odd. He was surprised that she knew his name.

She cheerfully grinned. "It's me, Pansy!"

He narrowed his brows and analyzes Pansy from head to toe. His eyes widen and blinked in disbelief! He couldn't believe it that the beautiful woman standing before him was his tomboy, childhood friend.


	7. Confessions

**Chapter 7: Confession**

Zoro turned around and immediately started walking away. "Hey! Where are you going?!" Pansy shouted. He ignored her. He didn't know why, but his instincts just told him to walk away. "Zoro!" After a while, Pansy finally caught up to him.

"Miss, please stop following me. You got the wrong person."

"No! I know it's you! I know that you recognize me too! The surprised look on your face indicated that you remembered me! So why are you ignoring me, Zoro?"

"Miss, you really got the wrong person. Goodbye."

…

 _[Even though we haven't seen each other in ten years, I immediately recognized that that was him. I knew that he recognized me too. But I didn't know why Zoro was ignoring me. I was hurt. It pained me to know that my best friend did not care for me._

 _I didn't let that stop me though. I had nowhere to go and nothing to do anyways, so I followed him. Zoro was obviously irritated with me, but I didn't care. I wanted to prove to him that I can be just as arrogant as he was.]_

…

After half an hour, Zoro finally stopped at an abandoned building to take shelter for the night. There were no lights, lots of dust and tons of cobwebs. Pansy was clearly uncomfortable with the eerie atmosphere. But she didn't want to lose to Zoro's 'challenge', so she followed him inside. Zoro puts his belongings down and comfortably leaned by the wall. He watches Pansy smirking and sitting across from him. 'Tch! She really followed me inside the building. Whatever. I'm sure she'll run away before the night ends.'

It was almost midnight. The only spec of lighting to the room was from the full moon that lightly dims onto the cracked window. Pansy slowly examined the dark room, holding her breath in, hoping that nothing scary will pop out.

OWOOOOOOO~

"Kyaa!" Startled, Pansy quickly moves over to sit next to Zoro, while tightly holding onto his arm.

"Oi! What are you doing?! Scoot over! Why are you so close to me?!"

"B-But I'm scared!"

He shoves her hand away and sits across from her. "Geez! It's just a dog's howl."

OWOOOOOOO~

"Ahh!" She moved closer to him again.

'This scaredy-cat!' He sighed and scoots over. "I'll allow you to sit next to me, but don't stay too close to me! I may be a Hakaisou, but I am still a religious man." She quietly nodded and obeyed.

…

 _[I continued following Zoro for the next few days. I went wherever he went and did whatever he did. He was very annoyed of me, but I could tell that he didn't really mind me because I bought us food throughout our little journey._

 _Zoro still denied who he was. That bothered me, but I decided to not let that get to me. Maybe he had his reasons? Oh well. I was willing to accept his acting and shenanigans. Until I find out his reasons, then I'll gladly stop bothering him. Besides, I was happy! I finally get to see my dear friend again. Following this arrogant and tight lipped monk was way better than faking the glamorous life!_

 _Zoro rarely talked, so I did most of the talking. I talked about the life I lived, up until now. Of course, it didn't peaked his interests at all. But I didn't mind. It just felt good to vent to someone.]_

…

"Huff, huff. Mr. Monk~ Can't we rest now? I'm so tired," Pansy complained, while fanning herself to cool her down.

"Tch! Why did you even follow me then?"

"Shh!" Pansy cups her ears, listening to the sound of the forest. "Mr. Monk! Do you hear the water streams! I hear it! It's coming from that direction!" She happily cheered.

"O-Of course I know," he lied. Zoro was slightly blushing. If he was walking by himself, he would have been lost by now. His horrible sense of direction would have made him wander around the forest the whole night!

Pansy runs to the water stream first, while Zoro follows closely behind. She cups the fresh water into her hands and drinks it. "Kyaa~ So refreshing!" Zoro finally arrives and drinks the water too, before washing his hands and face. After resting for a while, he got up and continued walking. "Eh?! Already? Where are you heading to, Mr. Monk?"

"Why should I tell you? Just go back home already!"

"Tch! I told you. I have no home now. Plus, I don't want to go back by myself. It's already starting to get late. So, I'll just follow you! Hehehe!"

"Sigh. Whatever. Suit yourself." He easily crosses over to the other side of the river.

"Hey! Wait for me!" She eyeballed the rocky, water stream. The other side looked very far away, and the water looked like it was gushing fast. 'Gulp. I better go slowly.' She slowly got onto the river and examines each rocks, carefully analyzing where she should step next. She was halfway there and saw that Zoro was already far away. "Mr. Monk! Wait for me- AHH!" Pansy slipped on the rocks and fell! "HELP!"

Zoro dropped all his belongings and immediately went back to help her! He jumped into the raging waters and held onto her waist, pulling her out of the river. They both laid on the river bed, heavily panting. "Pansy! Are you ok?!" She started crying with tears of fear and joy at the same time. She was so scared, but also so relieved that Zoro had saved her. "Baka! I told you to not follow me!"

"Cough, cough! But- Ouch!" Pansy tried to get up, but she couldn't. She looked down and saw that there was a small cut on her leg. Zoro ripped off a strip of his outer layer kimono and wrapped it around her wound. "T-Thank you."

"Sigh. C'mon. I'll carry you."

…

As they were walking deeper into the forest, they spotted an old, run-down hut. Zoro decided to rest there tonight. He built a small campfire to keep themselves warm and cooked the fishes that he caught from the river.

"Here." He handed Pansy a fish.

She thanked him and gladly takes her portion. "Heh. Doesn't this bring back old memories?" He was about to take a bite, but instead looked over to Pansy. He saw that she was warmly smiling and staring at the fish, as her eyes perfectly glows from the fire's light. A tear unexpectedly ran down her face. "Ah, I'm sorry." She wipes her tears away and quickly eats the fish to avoid the awkwardness.

"I'm sorry, Pansy."

"Hm? For what?"

"For lying to you… Sigh. Once we reach the next town, please, don't follow me anymore."

"Why should I?"

"Pansy! I really mean it!"

She ignored his demand and continued eating her dinner. "Yummy! This fish is really good! You should try yours, Zoro."

"Tch! That's what I always hated about you. You're always so positive."

When Pansy finished eating, she washed her hands and sat next to him. "Tonight's a full moon… Despite everything that happened, I'm glad that I finally found _my_ Zoro. And because I found you, I will never allow you to leave my side."

"Baka. Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Nope! Ahahaha!"

"Pansy!" He glared at the arrogant girl.

She finally stopped giggling. "We are friends. Aren't we suppose to help each other in times of need? We have nowhere to go, no friends or family… But we have each other now. Wasn't it our dream to live together? W-We can finally make that happen!" He looked away and didn't respond. Angry at the rejection, Pansy got up and grabbed his collar, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Tell me! Why are you so bitter towards me?! Why are you pushing me away, Zoro?!"

"Sigh. You're too annoying."

SLAP! Pansy slapped Zoro's face. "Tell me the real reason first! Tell me and I'll leave you alone forever!"

"Hah! You really are annoying, Pansy... You wanna know the real reason, huh? It's because I despise the woman in front of me." Pansy was surprised to hear that. She didn't understand why Zoro would hate her so much. "A 'friend' you say? More like a desperate girl willing to do anything to get out of poverty."

"Wha-"

"I'm not dumb, Pansy! You clearly wanted to leave with those strangers! New life, education, money? Psh! You didn't even know them, and yet, you wanted to leave so badly, just because that woman promised you a richer life. I didn't believe it at first, but the kids at the orphanage said you were so happy to leave. So happy that you immediately made up your mind right after I left."

"Z-Zoro!"

"Did you know that that night was hell for me?! Losing my best friends to some strangers! Falling off a freakin' cliff and injuring myself!"

"Wait, what? Y-You were injured? I-Is that why you didn't come back that night?"

"Yes… I was so pissed off that night, that I just started running to the forest. It was dark, so I couldn't see well. I fell off a cliff and was unconscious. Luckily, an older boy found me and took me to the nearest temple. Even though I was covered in injuries, I ran my ass off back to the orphanage to try to convince you to stay. If you decided not to stay, I was prepared to say a proper goodbye to you. But when I arrived, you were already long gone! The other kids told me that you didn't even care about me and happily left! Do you know how heartbroken I was?!… You staying with me now is just hurting me more!"

"Zoro..."

He got up and faced away. "Sigh. Please, just go away, Pansy." She also got up and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Oi! What the hell?! Let go!"

" **No! I won't let go!** " she shouted, while pressing her body onto his back to hug him tighter. "You've no idea how much it pained me to not see you anymore! I regretted leaving you and the orphanage! I wanted to stay, but it was your fault for telling me to leave! I-If I had known that you were going through so much trouble -sniff- I would have never left you at all, Zoro! Sniff. You were more than a friend to me! You were more than a brother to me too! Sniff. Even though I was still a kid back then… I knew that I wanted to spend my life with you, Zoro. **I-I love you! I always had, and I always will!** "

Zoro was so shocked to hear Pansy's confession. He turns around and gently cups his right hand on her left cheek, raising her eyes to meet his. He shook his head. "Pansy… We shouldn't-"

Pansy immediately started hitting him. "Baka! Baka! Baka! Why?! Why shouldn't we be together huh?!"

" **Because I won't be able to hold back my feelings**."

She stared into his melancholic eyes. He had such a warm and subtle expression, that she couldn't bring herself to hate him. Instead, tears ran down her cheeks as they continued gazing into each other's eyes. He wiped her tears and apologized.

"A monk falling in love with a geisha? Ahahaha! That's impossible."

Pansy didn't want to hear Zoro's excuses anymore, so she moves her hand to his cheeks and pulls him down, crashing her soft lips onto his! Zoro's eyes widen! He was so shocked! He immediately moved away. "P-Pansy! What are you-"

She held him tenderly and moves him down again, gently kissing the top his lip, then the bottom of his lip. She grazed her tongue between his lips and slowly slips her tongue inside, desperately searching for his. Once she found his hot tongue, her tongue eagerly plays with his, while he fiercely reciprocated! Their tongues wrestled feverishly, trying hard to see which one will dominate. She slowly and gently moves her hands up and down his neck and back, sending chills down his spine. "Zoro… **Let's 'be one' tonight** ~" He broke away from the hot kiss to catch his breath and nodded. XOXO...

 **"A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and a man cannot live without love"  
**

To be continued!

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 **Author's Message** : Whoaaa. Ya catching the FEELSSSSS?! LOL! Does it end here? Definitely not! Stay tuned...

iambabygg ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ


	8. Promises (FINAL CHAPTER)

**Chapter 8** : **Promises that Can't be Kept (FINAL CHAPTER) 💕  
**

The sun shines brightly in the morning sky, omitting a radiant light onto the vast, green forest. Deep in the woods, stands a little bamboo and straw hut. Inside the hut, was a man and woman, peacefully sleeping in each other's embrace.

...

Pansy was awaken by the surrounding birds chirping under the morning sun. She rubs her eyes and glances up and sees Zoro. Her face blushed bright red when she recalled what happened last night. She looks back up and notices that Zoro was still sound asleep. She had a wide smirk on her face. She slightly brushes her fingertips along his lightly tanned chest, admiring his toned abs. She quietly checks out her man, adoring everything about him.

"That tickles," he finally muttered.

Her eyes widen and face blushed bright red! She quickly moves her hand away and turns around. "I-I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized.

"Ahahaha, it's okay. You can touch me _anywhere_ you want~" he teased.

Her face immediately grew a darker shade of red. "Pervert!" Pansy was about to get up and leave, but Zoro pulled onto her hand, making her fall (back first) into his chest. "Z-Zoro?!"

His masculine arms wraps around her shoulder and waist, tightly holding onto her slender body. " **Let me hold you for a little bit longer**."

"Zoro..." She shyly smiled and quietly obliged.

After a while, he finally spoke. " **I have sinned. The gods will be mad.** "

Pansy turned around and sees Zoro with a melancholic expression. Seeing him like that also made her sad. Pansy's left hand gently held onto his right cheek. " **If loving you is a sin... Then I'm willing to be punished by the gods too, as long as I get to be with you.** "

"Pansy..." He was surprised to hear that.

"Promise me you'll never leave me."

"Okay."

...

 _[We spent one more night in the forest before traveling to the next town. Even though we had just reunited and confessed to each other, it felt like we had been in love for eternity. Our feelings continue to grow as we comfortably travel side by side. Days turned to weeks. We were running low on money, so we decided to settle down in town for a bit until we were able to save up enough money to travel again. We were both able bodied, so we would try to get jobs from here and there. Despite our hard work just to survive, I was very happy. I had waited so long for this dream to finally come true. For once in my life, I was with the person that I loved. Just being able to see Zoro's face every day was enough for me to be satisfied with our humble lifestyle._

 _Unfortunately, I did not know that our short time together was soon going to disappear forever.]_

…

"I'm back!~" Pansy excitedly greeted Zoro when she came back from a long night of waitressing. "Eh?" She saw two guests sitting in front of Zoro. "EHHH! E-E-Elder Nyon?! Marguerite?! W-What are you guys doing here?!"

The okasan got up from her seat and immediately started smacking Pansy with her staff! "BAKA! You stupid child! So ungrateful!"

"OUCH! Elder Nyon, please stop it!"

"You have no idea how mad I am at you! How dare you run away from your okiya! After all I've done for you! Pack your belongings! I'm taking you back!"

"Huh?! No way! I'm not going back to be your money maker!"

"Y-You ingrate! How dare you disobey me again! Poppy! Cosmos!" Elder Nyon called her two maids inside and they aggressively pinned Pansy down.

"Ugh! Stop it! Get off me!"

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Zoro demanded. The two maids saw how furious Zoro was and immediately pulled back. It was clear that they were afraid of him. Pansy ran and held onto Zoro's arm.

"We love each other! I am his woman now! I am never going back with you guys!"

"Love?! Bahahaha! A fallen monk in love with an apprentice geisha?! Ahahaha! You must be crazy! That is absolutely forbidden!"

Pansy had already abandoned that life, so there was no point for her to care or turn back. "You can say whatever you want, but I will never-"

"Pansy!" She looked up and saw Zoro's dispirited expression. "You need to go back."

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "W-What are you talking about?"

"You have a debt that you have not repaid yet… This woman had taken you in when you were at your lowest. She was willing to help you, without even knowing you. She fed you, gave you clothes, help trained you, and put a roof over your head for over ten years. You owe her too much."

"Zoro! But what about us?!"

"There is no 'us'. Ahaha, you should have known that from the start, baka."

Pansy's eyes were filled with tears. She couldn't believe it that he had just said that. "What am I to you then? Was all this time just a joke to you then?" Zoro was unable to look her in the eyes. "Answer me! Don't fuckin ignore me!"

He faked a smile and smirked. "Yeah. I told you from the start, didn't I? We can never be together. You had fun playing with me too, didn't you?"

Her jaws dropped. "I-Is that really what you think about me? That we were just playing with each other for our own selfish desires?"

"Hehh. You really are annoying... Anyways, I won't be able to stay here any longer since I didn't pay for tonight's stay. I wish I could have offer you girls some better hospitality. Oh well." He grabbed his belongings and put on his hat. "This is goodbye, Pansy." He smiled and started walking out the room.

Still trying to comprehend the situation, Pansy just stood there helplessly. Marguerite tapped her shoulders and she finally came to her senses. "Z-Zoro… Zoro!" She immediately chased after him. "P-Please don't do this! Don't lie to me or yourself! I know that you're just putting a facade! What did Elder Nyon do? How the hell was she able to convince you to do this?! You can't just abandon me like this! We promised each other already!"

He heavily sighed before turning around to face her. "Your freedom."

"What?"

"She's willing to let you be debt free. No more training to be a geisha. All she asked, was for you to return with her… and marry you off."

Pansy's eyes widen. "No! I'm not gonna-"

"Yes, you will... The person you are marrying is someone who I respect very dearly. I owe him my life. I'm willing to give him everything, including... the woman I love."

"Who?!"

"Law-sensei. Sigh. He was the older boy who rescued me when I fell down the cliff. I owe him a huge debt. Without his help, I wouldn't even be able to survive till now… Not a bad groom, right?"

"Z-Zoro, but I don't love Law-san, I love y-"

Zoro suddenly wrapped his arms around her one last time. There was a long moment of silence before he spoke. "I really, really wished that it wasn't him."

Tears fell down Pansy's eyes. "Zorooo… Sniff."

"I'm sorry, Pansy. I really am. I know it's hard, but please **do me one last favor and erase me from your heart**... **Let me be the only one to remember this love of ours**. Open your heart to someone else. That someone will love and cherish you more than I ever will..." Zoro held her cheeks one last time and gently stared into her watery eyes. "Please, promise me that."

"Zoro…" He warmly smiled to Pansy and kissed her forehead one last time before walking away. Pansy dropped down to her knees as tears gushed down her face. It felt like her heart was smashed to a million pieces. She was so struck with surprise, that all she could do was cry, and cry, and cry.

…

After a few days of traveling, the girls finally made it back to the hanamachi. When Law heard about it, he immediately went to visit Pansy. Law was surprised to see how gloomy Pansy looked. She had refused to eat and became very skinny and pale. Her eyes were very baggy and puffy.

"Pansy!" He immediately went up to her and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're ok." He puts a hand on her forehead and checked her pulse. Annoyed, Pansy immediately yanked her hand away. "What's wrong?"

Pansy looked over to Law. She felt bad for making her friend look so worried. "Why are you doing this, Law-san?"

"Because I'm worried about you."

"No. I meant, why do you want to marry me? I'm sure you already know that I have a bad reputation and history. I spent the night with the lecherous daimyo and spent a whole month with a different man! I am nothing but a low and inferior woman! There are so many other women out there who'll be a better match for you! So why would you still want to be with me, Law-san?! Aren't you afraid of the negative rumors and gossips?!"

He sighed and gently smiled to her. "I don't care about that. Despite everything, I still really like you, Pansy. At first, I thought it was just because I pitied you. But that wasn't the case at all. No matter how hard I tried to distant myself from you, I just... couldn't. I can't help but fall for you all over again. **Because of your smile, it made my life more beautiful**... I want to be the only thing that you'll ever want and need."

She was so touched by his sincerity, that she couldn't control her gushing tears.

"P-Pansy?! Are you ok?! D-Did I say something wrong?!"

She punched him on the chest. "Baka!" She leaned forward (sort of like bowing down) and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you. Thank you for accepting my flaws. I-I really don't know how I could ever thank you, Law-san."

"Marry me then."

She raised her head up and saw that he had a serious expression on. "Law-san..." She finally managed to lift a smile on her face and gently nodded. Law was so relieved and happy, that he suddenly kissed her! "L-Law-san…" Both their cheeks blushed bright red.

"I-I'm sorry," he quickly apologized, while awkwardly looking away.

Pansy giggled at her shy, future groom.

…

 _[I never saw Zoro again. It was as if he had just disappeared from my life. If there's one thing I regret in my life, that would be, giving him my heart. He was my first friend and my first love. I should have known and restrained myself from loving him too much._

 _Now, I am a happy wife, married to the perfect husband, living a comfortable life. Law loves me more than anything in the world, and I honestly cannot ask for more. I do feel guilty though. Guilty that I hadn't given Law my heart in the first place. I will atone for my sins by being by his side forever, love him unconditionally and cater only to him.]_

The End! 💕

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 **Author's Message:** Woohoo!🙌 Finally done with this story! Thank you readers, reviewers, followers, favorite-ers(?)! It was you guys who encouraged me to continue to finish off this little fanfiction. I really appreciate it!😘

I feel like I might have ended it a little too soon? Oh well! I was kind of running out of ideas. Not just that, but I personally suck at writing, so it was hard for me to formulate ideas and wording it out! So, this story had to come to an end. But that doesn't mean that I'm quitting writing! Lol. I will still continue to write more stories! So make sure to follow/fav me to see more in the future. (If ya don't, that's fine too, I guess. Lol!😅)

P.S. Feel free to leave me a review or send me a message about what you thought of the story! Did you love it? Hate it?! What was your favorite scene or part? Were you on Team Zoro💚 or Team Law💙? LOL!

 _One last note - For those of you who are interested in lemon stuff, I wrote a continued s.e.x. scene for the smut from Chapter 5! Ahhhhh (please don't hate me!) You can find it under my lemon account, babyGG, under Chapter 2 of "Dancing with the Demon". Warning, definitely NSFW!  
_

Peace out! 😉✌️

iambabygg ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ


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